Maxwell Zupke
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Maxwell’s a fifteen year old critic and writer whose ideal life would feature several Academy Awards as a Hollywood writer and director, homes in Venice and Paris, a personal correspondence with JK Rowling, and the superpower to eat as much bacon and ice cream (not together) as possible while remaining in shape (to the standards of a nerd, of course). He enjoys acting in Shakespearean productions and improvisational comedy in Wisconsin, and his favorite film is David Fincher’s The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. You can contact him at maxwell@theyoungfolks.com.

The Film Canon: American Beauty (1999)

It begins with the voice over of a dead man. If you recall, Billy Wilder’s black comic masterpiece Sunset Blvd. also begins with narration courtesy of a corpse. Like William Holden and Gloria Swanson in American Beauty‘s cinematic ancestor, the…

Oscar Buzz: We Predict the Nominees

Hollywood is aflutter with anticipation (and in some cases anxiety) over the impending nominations for the 85th Academy Awards. At 5:30 tomorrow morning, the ubiquitous Gangster Squad star Emma Stone and irreverent Oscar host Seth MacFarlane will reveal who’s still…

Maxwell’s Movie Review: Les Misérables

“Cosette, I don’t know what to say,” sings selfless firebrand Marius in the dramatic Romeo and Juliet style love song “A Heart Full of Love”. A delightful and talented actress once told me that a musical is an experience so intense…

Oscar Buzz: Will Teens Have a Horse in the Race?

It’s that time of year again. The Weinsteins are whining, and the red carpets are rolling! In the enormous mess of DVD promotions, star interviews, magazine spotlights, and blogger rants, it’s easy to forget that the Oscars are no longer…

Maxwell’s Movie Review: Sleepwalk with Me

Sleepwalk with Me has several very funny lines sure to make you laugh, and a number of playful episodes sure to make you smile. It is not ‘hilarious,’ like you might expect a film based on a stand-up comedy routine…

The Film Canon: Do the Right Thing (1989)

It’s sweltering. Radio DJ Mister Señor Love Daddy (Samuel L. Jackson) is proclaiming it to be one of the hottest days of the summer. It’s too hot to work, but Mookie (Spike Lee) makes his way to Sal’s Pizzeria anyway. As…

The Film Canon: All the President’s Men (1976)

Some movies know they’re movies. If done well, they are aware that their job is to tell us a story, and invite us along for the ride. Whenever you hear a movie described as a ‘satire’, ‘parable’, or ‘epic’ –…